In a first, 5 Sahiwal calves have been born through advanced IVF tech. Here’s why this matters
The ICAR–Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, has achieved a landmark breakthrough by successfully producing five healthy Sahiwal calves using the OPU–IVF–ET (Ovum Pick-Up, In Vitro Fertilisation, Embryo Transfer) technology — the first such success at the institute.
All five calves were born within five days starting February 28, 2026, demonstrating high efficiency of the technique.
The donor cow was a high-yielding Sahiwal producing over 12 litres of milk per day; semen from a proven bull with a maternal lactation yield of approximately 3,320 kg was used, ensuring strong genetic merit in the offspring.
This technique allows scientists to produce 20–40 calves per year from a single elite donor cow, compared to only one calf per year through natural reproduction.
The breakthrough supports India's efforts under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission to conserve and multiply superior indigenous bovine germplasm.
OPU-IVF-ET Technology: How It Works
OPU-IVF-ET is a three-stage advanced assisted reproductive technology used in livestock. It enables rapid multiplication of genetically superior animals by combining ultrasound-guided egg collection, laboratory fertilisation, and embryo transfer into surrogate mothers.
Key Details
- OPU (Ovum Pick-Up): Mature oocytes (eggs) are aspirated from the ovaries of a live, high-value donor cow using an ultrasound-guided needle — without surgery. This can be done repeatedly (typically every 1–2 weeks) from the same donor.
- IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation): The collected oocytes are fertilised in a laboratory dish using semen from a genetically superior bull, and the resulting embryos are cultured for several days.
- ET (Embryo Transfer): Viable embryos are implanted into surrogate cows of lower genetic value, which carry the pregnancies to term.
- The entire process can yield 20–40 calves per year from a single donor cow vs. one calf/year naturally.
- The technique is being scaled under Government of India's Rashtriya Gokul Mission, which is funding ~30 OPU-IVF facilities across the country.
- Ultrasound-guided OPU is non-invasive and safer than older surgical embryo recovery methods.
IVRI's success is the first institutionally validated OPU-IVF-ET result for the Sahiwal breed, demonstrating that this technology can now be deployed to multiply India's most prized indigenous cattle at scale.
Sahiwal Cattle: India's Premier Indigenous Dairy Breed
The Sahiwal is one of India's most valued indigenous zebu (Bos indicus) cattle breeds, recognised for combining reasonable milk yields with exceptional adaptability to tropical conditions — traits that make it critical for sustainable Indian dairy farming.
Key Details
- Origin: Named after Sahiwal district of Pakistan's Punjab province; distributed across Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh on the Indian side.
- Milk yield: Average lactation yield of ~2,325 kg; recorded up to 6,000 litres under optimal farm management.
- Adaptive traits: Heat-tolerant, tick-resistant, and disease-resilient — key advantages over high-yielding exotic breeds like Holstein-Friesian in India's hot and humid climate.
- Multi-purpose: Reared for milk, draught work, and meat — making it economically vital for small and marginal farmers.
- Conservation concern: Indiscriminate crossbreeding with exotic breeds has drastically reduced pure Sahiwal numbers; only a few hundred animals remain under field conditions along the Indo-Pakistan border.
- Registered breeds: India has 41 registered indigenous cow breeds and 13 buffalo breeds; Sahiwal is among the most prominent.
IVRI's IVF calves are all Sahiwal — the technology directly addresses the conservation crisis facing this breed by enabling multiplication of genetically pure, high-yielding animals without relying on scarce natural breeding populations.
Rashtriya Gokul Mission: Policy Framework for Indigenous Breed Conservation
The Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) is a central government flagship scheme under the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) aimed at conserving and developing indigenous bovine breeds and increasing milk production through scientific breeding.
Key Details
- Launched: December 2014; revamped and extended for 2021–2026 with a ₹2,400 crore allocation.
- Key components:
- Gokul Grams: Integrated cattle development centres for indigenous breed propagation.
- National Kamdhenu Breeding Centres: Centres of excellence for elite breed development.
- National Bovine Genomic Centre for Indigenous Breeds: Genomic selection to identify superior animals.
- Establishment and strengthening of ET/IVF centres — directly enabling IVRI-type breakthroughs.
- Target: Setting up ~30 OPU-IVF facilities across India to take technology to farmers' doorsteps.
- Broader goal: Increase milk production, reduce import dependence for exotic breeds, and conserve India's unique genetic heritage in livestock.
- India is the world's largest milk producer (over 230 million tonnes per year), yet per-animal productivity remains low compared to global averages — RGM directly targets this productivity gap.
IVRI's breakthrough is a direct output of the RGM's investment in IVF infrastructure, validating the mission's strategy of using biotechnology to scale up indigenous breed numbers rapidly.
India's Dairy Sector: Economic and Food Security Dimensions
India is the world's largest producer of milk and the dairy sector is the single largest agricultural commodity, contributing about 5% of GDP. Yet the sector faces a structural challenge: average milk yield per animal is significantly below global standards, largely because of the dilution of high-yielding indigenous breeds through unscientific crossbreeding.
Key Details
- India produces over 230 million tonnes of milk annually (as of 2023–24), a fourfold increase since Operation Flood (1970s–1990s).
- Average milk yield of Indian cows: ~1,777 kg/lactation vs. ~10,000 kg/lactation for Holstein-Friesian (exotic).
- Over 80% of milk in India is produced by small and marginal farmers who keep 1–5 animals — making breed improvement directly relevant to rural income.
- Exotic breed crossbreeds have higher yields but lower disease resistance and heat tolerance, increasing input costs (veterinary, housing, feed).
- Indigenous improved breeds like Sahiwal offer a middle path: moderate-to-good yields with low input costs — ideal for smallholder farming systems.
- The National Action Plan for Dairy Development (2022–2027) targets 330 million tonnes of milk production by 2033–34.
Multiplying genetically elite Sahiwal animals through IVF is a key lever to raise smallholder productivity without the risks associated with exotic crossbreeding — directly contributing to India's dairy and food security goals.
- Institute: ICAR–Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.
- Technology: OPU-IVF-ET (Ovum Pick-Up, In Vitro Fertilisation, Embryo Transfer).
- Achievement: First successful OPU-IVF-ET Sahiwal calves produced at IVRI; 5 calves born in 5 days (starting February 28, 2026).
- Donor cow: Sahiwal producing >12 litres/day; bull with ~3,320 kg maternal lactation yield.
- Productivity gain: 20–40 calves/year per donor vs. 1/year through natural breeding.
- Rashtriya Gokul Mission: ₹2,400 crore allocated (2021–2026); ~30 OPU-IVF facilities planned nationwide.
- India's registered indigenous cattle breeds: 41 cow breeds, 13 buffalo breeds.
- Sahiwal conservation status: Near-threatened at field level due to crossbreeding; only a few hundred pure animals remain in natural conditions.
- India's milk production: ~230+ million tonnes/year — world's largest.
- Average Sahiwal lactation yield: ~2,325 kg (up to 6,000 litres under managed conditions).